Electrical cable connecter socket and contacts



Oct. 30, 1934. J. L. SPENCE, JR

ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTER SOCKET AND CONTACTS Filed Aug. 15, 1931 ATTORNEY,

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Patented Oct. 30, 1934 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTER SOCKET AND CONTACTS John L. Spence, Jr., New York, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Remac Patents Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 15, 1931, Serial No. 557,211

3 Claims. (01. 173-328) This invention relates to connections for connecting a plurality of electrical supply conductors respectively with a plurality of conductors of current receiving devices and more particularly to I connecters for connecting various sources of electric power supply of different kinds to the various devices used in motion picture and sound record work; though itis noted that the invention is not limited to motion pictures, nor in some of the claims to plural connecting devices.

One object of the invention is to provide a connecter of this kind by means of which a plurality of conductors may be quickly and emciently connected to a plurality of other conductors and be u water-tight when coupled.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of socket contact, and socket and contact pin mounting means.

I Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved means of clamping together elements of an apparatus or device of this kind, and to provide an improved cover means for protecting the charged parts when not in use.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity, safety and efficiency of such devices and to provide a device or apparatus of this kind which is safe, and reliable in operation, and is economical to manufacture.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described and claimed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an electrical connecter which, briefly stated, includes a pair of interengaging o shells carrying insulating plugs, one carrying contact pins. The other plug has longitudinal per- .forations each having a reduced outer end and receiving a contact socket adapted to receive one of said pins. A disk flxed at the rear of the plug 5 serves for holding said sockets in place.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, one of'many possible embodiments of the invention,

. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete connecter;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, showing the pin carrying 'plug and shell, the section being taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows of said line;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, showing the socketv carrying plug and shell;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, partly in elevation, the section being taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, lookingin the direction of the arrows of said line;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation showing the engagement end of the socket carrying connecter;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing one of the 55 sockets; and

Fig. '1 is a diagram showing conductors connected to the pins and sockets.

My invention is shown embodied in a multiplecircuit connecter comprising a pair of open- 7 ended connecter shells l0 and 11 adapted when connected to be disposed in alinement with their engagement ends telescoping. One of said shells preferably but not necessarily, the shell 10 has an outer annular flange or rib 12 ,(Fig. 2) around the engagement end; and the other shell has a smooth annular face 13 around its engagement end adapted to telescope in the end of shell 10, and an external helical thread 14 around the shell adjacent to said face.

An exteriorly knurled clamping collar 15 has, near one-edge an interior annular groove 16 (Fig. 2) loosely received on said flange 12 for rotary movement and slight longitudinal movement later to be explained; and between the groove 16 and the other edge of the collar is an internal thread 17 adapted, when the shells are in engagement to slide oversaid annular face 13 and, while the shells are still in engagement,

to come into engagement with said external thread 14, whereby rotation of the collar clamps the shells together. The flange or thread 12, which is endless and not spiral, in the present instance, engages movably with a mating flange, or thread of the ring 15, as shown at said groove, to cooperate with the threads 14 and 17.

The cable end 18 (Fig. 1) of each shell is reduced in diameter to form an externally threaded neck 19 to receive an internally threaded ferrule 20 Ior'receiving a wire helix 21 for preventing the breaking oi. the cables, each numbered 22.

Socket carrying and pin-carrying insulating members 24, 25 (Figs. 2 and 3) are plugged into or received in said shells respectively, the pincarrying insulating block or plug 25 preferably in the flanged shell 10 terminating short of the engagement end of the shell, the socket carrying insulating block or plug 24 being flush with the engagement end edge 27.

A plurality of longitudinal contact pins or n stems 28 are carried in the plug 25. Each pin has a rounded outer end 30, and a perforated inner end 31 for receiving one of the cable conductors 32. Each pin has also a pinched-up anchoring projection 33 at an intermediate part, said part and projection being cast in the plug for holding the pin firmly in place. An insulating spacing bushing 39' lines the shell 10 between the pin carrying plug 25 and the reduced end 18 of the casing for holding the plug in place.

A soft rubber frictiondisk 35 (Fig. 2) on the outer face of the pin carrying plug through which the pins 28 project, serves as a cushion between the plugs to keep a friction on said threads to prevent the collar 15 from unscrewing, and makes a watertight joint.

A one-piece soft rubber protecting member 37, 38, 39 comprises a ring 37 received over the neck 19 of the pin carrying shell, a cap 38 adapted to yieldably and frictionally fit over the clamping collar 15 to protect the stem fromshort circuiting, fouling or the like, and a strip 39 connecting the ring and cap for retaining the cap convenient to the shell.

A ground pin 40 has at its forward end an integral lateral anchor or extension, which serves as a nut 41, cast in the plu and, this pin has its rear end connected to a ground conductor 42 in the cable 22. A screw 43 (Fig. 4) passing through and engaging the shell 10 finds an aperture, as shown, which is threaded, in the aforesaid nut 41, so that this structure serves for grounding the shell, to prevent accidental shock therefrom to the operator.

The socket carrying plug 24 (Fig.3) is provided with a plurality of longitudinal socketcarrying perforations 45, 46, of elongated cross section except at the engagement end 46 where it is of reduced circular cross section to form an inner shoulder 47.

A contact socket 48 (Fig. 6) in each aperture comprises a sheet of metal in substantially tubular form including a longitudinally elongated body portion 49 having an inner longitudinal main groove 50 pressed therein, and cooperating parts 51 joining each edge of the body portion and disposed over the groove and having their edges near each other and bent to form shallow inner longitudinal grooves 52 cooperating with said main groove 50 to form opposite side walls of an approximately cylindrical socket adapted to receive-said pins 28.

Said'pa'rts 51 have transverse slots 53 to form spring members for yieldably engaging the ins 28. Connecting stems 55 have their forward ends soldered or otherwise secured in the rear ends of the socket grooves 50, 52, each connecting stem having its rear end perforated for the reception of solder and the ends of .conductors 56 of the cable 22.

An insulating fiber disk 57 on the rear end face of the socket plug 24, having perforations for said stems 55, is held in place by an insulating spacing bushing 58 disposed between the said disk and the reduced end 19 of the shell for holding said sockets '48 against the shoulders 47.

A conductingstrip recessed in the side of the socket plug has its rear end connected to a ground conductor 62 (Fig. 7) and its front end provided with a threaded hole'receivlng a screw 63 passing through and engaging the shell and in said hole for grounding the shell.

The operation of the device is obvious from the foregoing. When the elements are unconnected as in Figs. 2 and 3, the cap 38 is kept over the col- .lar 15 to prevent short circuiting or fouling of thecharged pins 28, should the element 10 be dropped, as in water or mud or upon metal.

when it is desired to connect the circuits, the cap '38 is removed from the collar 15 and the pins 28 are inserted in the sockets 48 and pushed inward until the thread 14 touches the thread 1'1 and pushes said collar 15 longitudinally to or near the innermost limit permitted by the width of the groove 16. Then the collar is rotated and the threads 14 and 1'1 easily intermesh, and in time draw the engagement end of the shell 11 and, plug 24 against the soft disk 35, the latter maintaining the threads in yielding engagement of sufficient force to hold the threads against unscrewing.

To separate the elements 10 and 11, the collar is rotated in unscrewing direction until the threads are unmeshed, and then the elements are side of said terminal, outwardly turned portions extending from the first mentioned portion, inwardly turned portions spaced from said outwardly turned portions, and spaced segments extending from the last mentioned portions for resiliently engaging the opposite side of said terminal.

2. A socket for terminals of the electrical conductors comprising a piece of resilient conductive material which includes a main body portion having a groove extending throughout its length for releasably receiving at one end thereof one side of a terminal, another body portion opposite the first portion and having a groove for receiving the other side of said terminal, said second portion having therein a longitudinally disposed slot and cooperating transverse slots whereby to provide spring segments, unitary lateral portions spaced apart and extending from the first mentioned portions, and a stem of conductive material having the opposite sides of one of its ends fixedly engaged in the opposite ends of said grooves, the other end of said stem being extended from said grooves to carry a conductor.

3. A one-piece soft rubber protecting member for shells of electrical connecters, comprising a ring engageable over the neck of a connecter shell, a cap adapted to yieldably frictionally fit over the engagement end of the shell, and a strip connecting the ring and cap for retaining the cap in convenient position.

JOHN L. SPENCE, JR.

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